''Continued prohibition of these items is an integral layer in making our aviation system secure and must remain in place,'' said the union in a statement.

"As the last line of defense in the cabin and key aviation partners, we believe that these proposed changes will further endanger the lives of all Flight Attendants and the passengers we work so hard to keep safe and secure.

"Flight Attendants are the front line safety and security professionals on board every commercial passenger aircraft in this country and must be given the tools and training to protect ourselves, our passengers and the aircraft.''

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, representing over 16,000 American Airlines employees, asked the TSA to re-evaluate the policy and questioned why ''such a momentous decision'' was made without consulting the group.

APFA ''categorically rejects a proposal to allow knives of any kind in the cabin,'' said Glading.